Tomorrow we will be getting back on a loooong plane ride to head back to the desert…!

It is bittersweet because I am going to miss our family & friends here in America. So much it hurts sometimes, especially now that we have Lydia. I will miss certain things in America like Sonic and Target and other conveniences like central A/C and dishwashers. But after two months of being “homeless,” living in suitcases, having to pack and repack every time I turn around, not having a “routine” and time with just our little family of 3 I am ready to head back over, unpack our bags and learn what it means to be a parent and a family of 3. If you asked me 3 weeks ago I would have said I was not ready at all to return, in fact dreading it, but I thank the Lord for His grace in meeting me where I am at and preparing my heart to return. There are a lot of unknowns as we return, sometimes so many its overwhelming, but I am thankful that there are a lot of knowns as well. Two years ago we boarded a plane to a whole world of “unknowns”- we didn’t know the town we were going to live in (well much of it anyway), the place we were going to live, the people we would be doing life with, the language we would be learning or if we would be able to learn it, the food we would be eating, the locals we would become friends with… but today as we get ready to board a plane again, all of those things are known and in fact missed. Two years ago I never thought that would be possible, but by God’s mercy and grace I know it to be true!

So here’s to another chapter in our adventure with more stories, laughter, tears, joy and pain, but in a place that we call home (for now) and that feels familiar, a place we can unpack our bags and live and try to trust the Lord with each day we live. Oh and we get to return with an precious 4 month old who we could not love more!! Man, we have been blessed by her.

Family, friends, America… we will miss you and you will always be in our hearts. Thank you for a great two months and for sharing the joy of our Liddy Bug with us. Thank you for places to sleep, food to eat, cars to drive, shoulders to cry on and memories that will last forever.

We love you.